Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1887-03-23

on that line. With her eyes on the clock,
which seemed then, if ever, to say '.for-
ever-neyer-never-fo she kept
up the call Somebody on the other side
"broke herr twice, but she gave all the
danger signals She could think of and kept
on. The moments kept on-one, two,
three, four, five-slowly pealed the old
clock-each stroke an agony to the girl.
Meanwhile the agent at Stratford could
not operate at all, and the boy who could
and who served as general chore- boy
about the place, had gone for the cows,
and there was no one to answer the call on
which so much depended.
A few minutes and it was too late. and
Mike was IN a new dilemma
Mike closed the key in despair She did
not know the train signals, but seized the
red flag under the old desk and ran for
dear life--hterally the dear lives of her
fellow creatures. Not until she got TO the
wrecked place did she remember that she
must go beyond the curve TO stop them or
she would be of no use. Already she
heard the approaching train rumble in
the distance Faster, faster she sped
round the curve straight on up the track.
She could see them now coming in On
they rushed, the great engine bent on de-
stroying its precious freight Mike
frantically swung her red flag, but still
the monster rushed toward her, showing
NO abatement of speed.
Meanwhile the engineer and fireman
had seen the slight form of the girl and
the fireman stood aghast to see tt. en-
gineer so utterly regardless of her.
stop. manr' he shouted; don't you
see the girlfn
yes" said the halr-druuk engineer.
'Why don't the little fool get out of my
wayf IN teach her." AMI made no move
mcnt to stop.
Mike waited with sinking heart-O,
why did every thing go against hers Was
IT the Will of God that TINS dreadful thing
must happeni Tie engine was close upon
her and she ran upon jutting rock by the
railroad still waving her scarlet tiag-but
just as the engine came alongside of her
she heard the sharp click of the call-bell
in the engine and saw the fireman push
the engineer aside and reverse the en-
gine. The conductor, who had Just seen
her and excitedly pulled the bell-rope
jumped off and came toward her. But the
reaction was too niue for poor Mike, and
she could only gasp out out; Round the
curve" and then she was white heap,
with no sense of any thing.
Passengers rushed out. and, after some
had been to the curve and seen what the
little girl had saved them from, no lady in
the land could be so loyalty waited upon
as she was when she had been lifted into
the car and modestly told her little story
1t was some little time before the track
was ready for the train to proceed, and
when Mike got out at her own station
many kind hands pressed hers IN farewell
and the conductor left something in her
hand, too, just as the train left, saying
you ar G the bravcsI little woman in the
State"
Not until she had been in the Office a
good half hour with her father, who had
got home from his lawsuit and wondered
what made the train late and where MIKE
had gone to and told him ali the story did
Nike think to look at the packet. "Then
she read a note. ''Will Miss Eunice Mark
ham accept the accompanying from the
friends she so bravely saved August %
lSs0p'
The note was wrapped around five
hundred dollars in bank notes
20. papal now you can pay of the
mortgage on the house." cIIed Nike ant
| the father said:
"a declare, Nick you get higher wages
as agent than doi'
The superintendent of The Q 4 l. Rail
road Compan came down to Parkerstowr
that week. and soon after there was
vacancy in one of the best Offices of the
company in a neighborinS city and Mr..
Markham was tendere1 the situation He
accepted, $50 Mike can have the schooling
she wants 81 much" he said; and to-day
Miss InIce Markham is one of the most
promising pupils ir the high school OF that
city. But more than ever is she the pride
Of he fathers heart, who never tires OF
telling OF the afternoon ''hIs girl was
station ageutn
But, after all, you would never take
her for a hproiua